Cycle Map Run

Category: marathon training

It’s officially 10 weeks until my marathon, mid-March and snowing non-stop. Yesterday I made a new plan to keep me going over the next couple of months so everything is still going to be A-OK! Those 16, 18 and 22 mile runs are going to happen as long as that snow stops and spring finally arrives (pleeeease hurry up)!

I’ve had an exciting couple of weeks as I actually managed to escape the first bit of snow the UK received and head to California. I attended a conference in Palm Springs for a week, which was amazing. The weather was beautiful, I faced some fears by taking the tramway up 8,000 ft into the mountains and made new friends. Unfortunately the most I ran was about 10 minutes on a treadmill follow by a bit of weight training where every bone in my body cracked – sitting on a plane for about 15 hours is not good for you.

After the conference I flew up to San Francisco for a few days holiday. San Francisco is a fantastic city! I was staying in the financial district, which was easy to get to via BART from the airport and I was a short walk from most popular tourist areas such as Embarcadero and Union Square.

I had so much to pack in to a few days – I had a 4.5 hour behind the scenes tour of Alcatraz which was really interesting, I rode on the cable cars up the infamous hills and took in the sights of the touristy Pier 39. There is so much I missed out on despite all of this so definitely need to go back! On top of all of that I did manage to get out running….

Windmill 10K, Golden Gate Park

I did a bit of research before travelling and found out that there was a 10K race in Golden Gate Park on my first morning in SF. This was hosted by DSE Runners (http://dserunners.com/), one of the oldest running clubs in SF, who seem to host events every week – what a cool club! As I hadn’t really ran for a week or so before this I found it tough on my stiff legs but I enjoyed the atmosphere of being a new place and had a lot of encouragement from the women I met – huge thanks to Rachel, Carol, Denise & Paula (I hope I got those right!) for making me feel so welcome. I managed to finish in about 55 minutes and got a lovely rainbow coloured ribbon as well as plenty of snacks at the end. I even managed to meet someone else from Northern Ireland so overall I had a fab time!

Running across the Golden Gate Bridge

When I hosted the UK Run Chat hour I remember saying that one of my running dreams is to run across the Golden Gate Bridge so as soon as I knew I would be in SF I got planning this ultimate run! The easiest way for you to know what I got up to is to watch this video….

Again, I met some fab girls on this run who cycled past me and kept me motivated (thanks to Katie x2, Tianna and Mads!) and feel very happy that I have this route on my Strava!

Those two runs in San Francisco were great but I obviously didn’t just leave my hotel room and see where the wind took me…

Here are my top tips for planning a run when on holiday:

1. If you are into races, do some research and see if there is anything happening when you are there. If it’s a big event then the website is likely to have all of the information you need but for smaller events don’t be afraid to email the organisers to say you will be there or ask any questions.

2. For races, make sure you know how to get to the start on time. To save the hassle of public transport in a new city very early on a Sunday morning I got an Uber there and back. The best thing I did when away was to download the maps of both Palm Springs and San Francisco from Google so even when I wasn’t on WiFi I would know where I am and navigate myself back to the hotel.

3. Look up routes before you go. Someone has bound to have ran a similar route before so there will be advice out there. This is also a good safety recommendation as it’s best to run in populated areas (or well known trails) especially if you are by yourself. Of course we all want to explore new areas but just make sure you know where you’re going and how to get back!

4. Think about pre-run fuel. I didn’t have breakfast available in my hotel but popped to Starbucks next door for some granola and banana loaf which was fine for my own run but if you’re racing then definitely check if your hotel does the breakfast you would want to eat or whether you need to pack your own!

5. Bring a running bag or belt with you. I brought my trusty Nathan backpack with me so that I could carry my hotel key card, battery pack to charge my phone, money, a jumper for afterwards, a bottle of water and even a hairbrush so that I could look half decent in my selfies. You don’t want to end up miles away from where you’re staying with 10% battery and nothing to drink.

6. Stop and take photos or videos. You probably won’t be there again any time soon and unless it’s a race you have been training hard for, you don’t need to worry about your time. Enjoy the scenery of your new surroundings.

7. Check the weather! This is probably a good idea before you leave home and on the day of the run. I managed to experience beautiful sunshine, fog and torrential downpour in SF so I wasn’t overly prepared but it meant I could buy a jacket as a souvenir! Sometimes, there isn’t much you can do but at least check if you need shorts or leggings as that can affect the whole run.
8. Have fun! This could possibly be a once in a lifetime opportunity so enjoy yourself, smile at others and reward yourself with some delicious local cuisine afterwards!

We are a week into 2018 and I am just getting round to finishing a blog post I started on New Year’s Day. I am hoping it isn’t too late to reflect on 2017 and the novelty of New Year’s Resolutions hasn’t worn off just yet. First of all, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and weren’t too hungover on NYD. I spent NYE with my family, introducing them to the UK Run Chat hour on twitter and planning races for the upcoming months. 2018 is set to be the year of new challenges and hopefully smashing some PBs but before I get into all that, I will take a look back at 2017…

2017

After the GWR smiling because I surprised myself with a new PB.

I wasn’t running too much at the start of the year as I was finishing my Masters dissertation alongside my full-time job. Looking back, I don’t know how I fitted it in but I completed it, presented a poster on my work at a conference in Vienna, passed with distinction and had a lovely graduation back home. Having free time again in summer meant I could really enjoy getting out running again! The first race of the year was the Jurassic Coast 10K in August, memorable for the hills, heat and my first insight to off-road running. The Great North Run in September was a fantastic experience. I will never forget running across the Tyne Bridge just as the Red Arrows flew overhead and I definitely won’t forget the pain in my quads which forced me to walk a bit at around mile 9 (tip: don’t cycle 50 miles the weekend before a half marathon). With a half marathon PB of 1:56 gained at GNR, I felt relaxed as I lined up for the start of the Great West Run in October. Clearly having a carefree attitude is the way to go as I powered up those hills and achieved a new PB of 1:52! Lastly, I took part in Run Up 2 Christmas with my club UKRC Exeter and collectively we ran nearly 1000km (that’s the target for this year!) and despite having a cold and all the usual Christmas distractions, it was good to have motivation to get outside.

New Year, New Me?

I like throwing that phrase around to wind people up when discussing resolutions, however I did tweet recently that I am very much pro resolutions because why not try to make some positive changes in your life? Sure you can decide to eat healthier in June or try spin classes in September but the start of the year seems like a good time to start afresh. I do have some personal goals to achieve this year but I know you just want to hear about running so I will get to it!

2018 is the year of the marathon.

I am just a bit terrified. I tell people that I am now officially in marathon training and it tends to sound quite casual and generally in a calm tone. Then this happens:

Friend: Oh a marathon, how far is that again?

Me: twenty six point two miles

Friend: TWENTY SIX MILES?

Me: twenty six POINT TWO

Friend: WHAT! That is so far, how on earth can you run that?!

I know it will be ok. I have very supportive friends and family, no other major commitments (outside of work) and plenty of shorter races to run between now and the end of May including a few 10K races in Exeter and a half marathon in Taunton.

Of course, I will then be running the marathon at the end of May. That’s ages! Isn’t it? Isn’t it? Currently I feel quite motivated and ready to tackle the training but I’m sure that will change over time. I am sure you will all agree that the best thing to do is not get too worried, keep up consistent training and enjoy the challenge. I will try to listen to that (plus any other advice) over the upcoming months.

Before my first run of the year! Smiling on the outside, crying on the inside.

I guess now (finally at time of writing and posting) I have finished week 1. My first run was on New Year’s Day and it was horrific in the rain & hail at a hilly forest at home. Since then, I have been back to my running club (@UKRCExeter), been to the new Exmouth park run & completed everyone’s favourite – the long Sunday run! I ran a total of 38.8km this week (I do not like leaving it so unrounded but I’ll live) and not had a drop of alcohol or a bite of chocolate (chocolate ban only started on the 2nd) so I am feeling pretty pleased.

Just in case you’re a bit nosy like me, my other goals/thoughts for the year ahead are:

Read more books. It takes me forever to read a book unless I am lying on a beach in 25 degree heat. I want to read/listen to more this year to stop myself looking at a screen all the time and maybe it will give me something else to talk about other than PBs and negative splits.

Drink less alcohol. I am taking part in Dry January just to give myself a bit of a boost and yes I probably will have a glass of wine as soon as February hits but I am going to try to not drink so much this year. I can tell this one might not go to plan…

Work hard. I’m currently listening to What Happened by Hillary Clinton (she even reads it herself, it’s fab!) and it has filled me with motivation in nearly all aspects of life but especially my working life. They key thing here is to not doubt yourself and what you can achieve.

Save money. Yes another typical one but to be fair this already happens, I just need to maintain it and that’s what direct debits are for.

I’m sure I will come back to these in a few months time and think “How did I think I could give up alcohol, are you mad?!” but at least it’s all written down and that means I will at least try to focus on the list above. I’m going to go drink a nice cup of tea now and read my book (see, I am already a better person).

I hope you all have a productive and successful week ahead!

Here’s to 2018!

Rach x

Exmouth Park Run. It was freezing!!!Post-long run selfie today. I managed 8 miles in the freezing cold after helping at Junior Park Run.

It’s currently a pre-race day for me but my thoughts in the lead up to the Great West Run have been slightly overshadowed by my recent Edinburgh marathon registration. So before I put a pasta bake in the oven and lay out my kit for that all important Instagram, I thought I would share my reasons for choosing to a run a marathon. I should say that I might change my mind about these in the future as I haven’t even ran a marathon yet so how should I know how good it will feel or what would make other people also run one? I guess these reasons can be applied to any race distance and for running in general. Have a read & let me know what you think!

To achieve a goal. I have already ran a few half marathons and I have got to the stage where I can run past the 13.1 mark in a training run so I think it’s time to up my game! I love that feeling when you have ran further than ever before and suddenly feel invincible. Then you push hard for the last mile, pain hits and you start to question everything again! Seriously though, that sense of achievement is a fantastic feeling and you’ll not only get that when crossing the finish line of a race but with each long run that you do.

To get fit/be healthier. I think running is one of the best ways to stay in shape and running a marathon is going to make you think more about your body and what it is capable of. I feel quite fit as it is due to recent half marathon training but I know full marathon training will make me think more about what I’m eating and the different types of running sessions that I am doing.

Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Travelling / visiting a place you love. I’m happy that the race I am doing tomorrow is within walking distance from my flat but sometimes the adventure of travelling to a race makes the whole experience even more exciting. I have chosen to run the Edinburgh marathon because I went to uni in Scotland and have a lot of family & friends living there so it is a place very close to my heart. I have ran the Edinburgh half 3 times and loved every second of it (apart from in 2015: post-dissertation meant very little training and a lot of toilet stops – maybe more on that in another post?) so I know going back for the full thing will be fantastic. I also didn’t get into London but hey, what can you do?

To raise money for charity. I absolutely love running a race and reading the names of charities and the special messages people have written on their t-shirts. I raised money for Helping Hands – the charity to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in 2014 and the support I received was wonderful. Recently, at the Great North Run, a friend ran for Sue Ryder and we arranged to meet in their tent afterwards. They gave me such a warm welcome despite having not ran for them myself and I thought how great it must be to be in the community of people running for the same charity. You can motivate each other and celebrate together.

Post-Jurassic Coast 10K with running group pals

Making new friends / joining a group. I am lucky to be part of 2 great running groups in Exeter and the combination of long runs, sprints and hill sessions make it easier to get training in during the week – especially in winter when it’s raining and all you want is a glass of wine in front of the TV. I am hoping that marathon training will make me more committed to the club sessions and really value what we are doing. Of course, as time goes on and I chat to more people who have actually ran marathons I hope to make more friends who I can ask questions to and find out what it’s really like.